March 23, 2012- Newark, OH- Be among the first to explore the Ancient Ohio Trail,
a dynamic, web-based guide to Ohio’s earthworks! Bring your smart
phones and curiosity to the Great Circle at Newark Earthworks State
Memorial at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 5. The keynote speaker, Gerard
Baker, Ph.D., is the first American Indian (Mandan-Hidatsa) to serve as
superintendent of a National Park, and will help to launch the Ancient Ohio Trail. The day’s events are free and open to the public.

The Ancient Ohio Trail
focuses on the distinguished Native American heritage across Ohio and
traces early settlement in the region. Travelers –whether virtual or on
location- will gain rewarding insights from visits to the ancient
earthworks, and will discover Ohio’s historic towns, scenic roads, and
many distinctive cultural, artistic, and tourist amenities. It combines
detailed site tours with vivid, computer-generated animations and
downloadable media that allow viewers to experience the full scope,
beauty, and precision of these monuments.

The Ancient Ohio Trail is
a project of the Newark Earthworks Center (NEC) in collaboration with
the University of Cincinnati’s Center for the Electronic Reconstruction
of Historic and Archaeological Sites (CERHAS), and was funded by the
National Endowment for the Humanities. Richard Shiels, Ph.D., director
of the NEC and associate professor of history at The Ohio State
University at Newark and John Hancock, Ph.D., director of CERHAS and
professor of architectural history at University of Cincinnati led the
project; Hancock will present an overview of the Ancient Ohio Trail.

Staff from CERHAS and volunteers will be on hand to assist guests with the technology. In addition to learning about the Ancient Ohio Trail,
attendees will enjoy atlatl, a polo demonstration, displays, and an
open house in the Licking County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau Visitor
Center.

This event launches an "Ancient Ohio Summer,” which will provide activities at the featured Ancient Ohio Trail sites. See the website for a complete list, which is also noted below.